Container intended for packaging a product and method of locking a cover lid and a base member of such a container to one another

ABSTRACT

A container including a cover lid and a base member, a cover lid border region by which it can abut on a base member border region so to form in an abutting status an enclosure, a tubular element by which the container can be brought into a completely assembled status, having dimensions suitable for surrounding the cover lid The base member when brought in the abutting status and provided with locking means for keeping the cover lid and the base member together in the completely assembled status.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to European Application No. EP13187213.7 filed Oct. 3, 2013, the disclosure of which is incorporated in its entirety by reference herein.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates in first instance to a container intended for packaging a product.

BACKGROUND

Such a product will typically be a food product, typically intended for immediate consumption, and can for example be a cake, a pie, a pastry, a tart or the like as well as a sandwich, a salad, a pizza, a fruit or a complete prepared dish and so on.

It is of course not excluded from the invention to use the container for packaging non-food products.

In particular, the present invention relates to such a container comprising a base member and a cover lid, the cover lid provided with a cover lid border region by which it can abut on a base member border region provided at the base member, so to form in an abutting status an enclosure for enclosing the product.

According to the state of the art many types of such containers exist for packaging products, such as food products, which have nevertheless some drawbacks.

Some disadvantages of the known containers for packaging products are related to the means by which the cover and base member are kept together after their assembly into an enclosure for keeping the food product.

For example, from EP 2 535 283 a two lid box is known, comprising a base member and a cover lid and having locking means by which the cover lid can be locked to the base member.

The base member is formed by a bottom having at its periphery upstanding walls connected to one another by means of corner pieces.

Each corner piece is provided with a horizontally directed opening as well as with a vertically directed slit extending upwards from the centre of the corresponding horizontal opening.

The side walls and corner pieces are inclined with respect to the bottom of the base member and extend outwardly in a direction away from the bottom.

The cover lid is provided with a top side from which inclined lateral sides extend outwardly and it has dimensions so that it can be partly introduced into the base member.

A resilient V-shaped cornice surrounds the periphery of the lateral sides of the cover lid and has rounded corners which can be introduced into the openings and slits of the base member.

In order to lock the cover lid to the base member, the cover lid is lowered into the base member while exerting a pressure to open the slits in the base member, so that the rounded corners of the cornice can penetrate into the slits and openings of the base member.

A first disadvantage of this kind of known containers is that the cover lid and base member have to be made of a resilient, somewhat flexible material allowing a certain deformation required during the action of locking the cover lid to the base member.

Another drawback of this kind of known containers is that the cover lid and base member have to be provided with a special shape, i.e. with outwardly extending side walls, so to allow the cover lid of being introduced into the base member and to provide in a pressure build-up at the corners in order to open the slits in the base member during lowering of the cover lid.

As a consequence, there is not a lot of freedom for designing different containers having all kinds of shapes.

Still another disadvantage of this kind of known containers, which is linked to their shape, is the fact that in the locked status the cover lid and base member are not forming a tight enclosure for protecting the product kept in it.

Indeed, dust and all kinds of bacterial contaminants or even small insects can easily enter the enclosure through the gaps between the side walls of the base member and the cornice of the cover lid, which is unacceptable in most food processing industries.

Furthermore, the unlocking of the cover lid from the base member is far from practical, since the deformation required for pulling the corners of the cover lid out of the openings and slits in the base member is actually hindered by the shape of the cover lid and the base member and it is suggested that a product is in practice taken out the container by tearing away a side wall.

So, it is clear that such a container is not suitable for multiple reuses, while the food product kept in it is intended for being consummated at once.

From U.S. Pat. No. 5,860,530 a similar type of container is known having essentially the same drawbacks.

Another type of known containers is for example disclosed in EP 1 435 330 and comprises a base member and a cover lid provided with corresponding peripheral flanges.

The peripheral flanges comprise each a peripheral rim shaped such that in a closed position of the container the peripheral rims lie substantially in one surface.

In that manner the container can be sealed by means of a sheet like sealing member applied on the adjacent peripheral rims which lie for that purpose in one surface.

The sheet like sealing can be made of a plastic material which can be welded to the material of the base member and the cover lid, or it can be an adhesive foil which can be stuck thereon.

It is clear that such a known container can be sealed perfectly, but that on the other hand for opening the container the welded sheet like sealing or the adhesive foil has to be peeled from the peripheral rims, which is often not easy, while reuse of the container is for the same reasons excluded or difficult due to destruction or possible deformations of the sheet like sealing during opening of the container and due to the rather slim shape of the sheet like sealing.

Furthermore, the peripheral flange of the cover lid has a part intended for cooperating with a part of the peripheral flange of the base member in order to allow an easy positioning of the cover lid on the base member.

This, together with the fact that the peripheral flanges have a peripheral rim lying in one surface, when the container is closed, makes that the peripheral flange of the base member has a width extending with its aforementioned peripheral rim outside the flange of the cover lid, so that the total width of the flanges of the container is very big, which is very disadvantageous when stowing multiple containers for example in a box.

Another disadvantage of this known type of containers is that the welding of a sealing or the fabrication of a suitable adhesive foil requires complicated production methods, which is not cost effective in cases where a sealing of the container is not a requirement.

BACKGROUND

It is therefore an objective of this invention to overcome one or more of the above-mentioned drawbacks or possibly other non-mentioned drawbacks of the known containers.

In particular, it is an objective of the present invention to provide a container for packaging a product, the cover and base member of which being easily lockable, while allowing opening and closing of the container multiple times without any problems.

It is furthermore an objective of the present invention to provide a container which can be very easily produced in a cost effective manner, with materials that can be recycled.

It is still another objective of the invention to provide a very cheap manner of labelling such a container.

To this aim, the invention proposes, a container intended for packaging a product, such as a food product, comprising a base member and a cover lid, the cover lid provided with a cover lid border region by which it can abut on a base member border region provided at the base member, so to form in an abutting status an enclosure for enclosing the product, the container comprising additionally a tubular element by which the container can be brought into a completely assembled status, the tubular element having dimensions suitable for surrounding, in the completely assembled status, the base member and cover lid when brought in the abutting status, and provided with locking means for keeping the cover lid and the base member together in said completely assembled status.

A first advantage of such a container in accordance with the present invention is that it is provided with a tubular element for locking the cover lid to the base member.

In that way the container can be kept very compact, while the tubular element is easily applied over and taken from the cover lid and base member, when in the abutting status.

Another advantage of the tubular shape of the tubular element is that advertisements or other information can be printed on it, which is clearly visible to the user.

In that way the locking means of the container can be used at the same time for labeling the container, for example in order to identify the product in the container.

As a consequence, with a type of container according to the invention, the cover lid and base member can be made in a standard shape without any information provided on it, so that it is suitable for varying products, while only the tubular element needs to be adapted depending on the product packaged in it.

With the known containers usually information is printed on the cover lid or base member, so that for each different product the cover lid or base member has to be adapted, which is very costly.

In other known embodiments an additional sheet or sticker has to be adhered to the cover lid or base member, which implicates that apart from the materials and manipulations needed for closing the container, additional materials as well as additional manipulations are needed for labeling the container, which is therefore less cost effective.

Still another advantage of a container in accordance with the invention is that the cover lid has a border region by which it can abut on a border region of the base member, so that in the abutting status an enclosure is formed around the product preventing dust and other contaminations from entering into the enclosure.

In a preferred embodiment, the locking means are in the completely assembled status of a container according to the invention providing in a mechanical locking of the cover lid and the base member.

A big advantage of such an embodiment of a container in accordance with the invention is that it is easily fabricated and is suitable for multiple reuses, this, in contrast to what it is the case in the known containers with welded sealing elements or sealing elements provided with a sticking adhesive.

Additionally, according to a still more preferred embodiment of a container in accordance with the invention, locking means are formed by at least one slit or opening in the tubular element in which a base member border region part and a cover lid border region part can be introduced simultaneously.

It is obvious that a simple opening in the tubular element can be very easily provided during the fabrication process of the tubular element, while it is a very suitable means for locking and unlocking the cover lid and base member.

The invention also relates to a method of locking a cover lid and a base member of a container according to the invention as here before described.

Such a method according to the invention comprises at least the steps of:

bringing the cover lid and the base member into an abutting status by placing face to face a base member border region with a cover lid border region so to form an enclosure for enclosing the product;

surrounding the base member and cover lid by means of a tubular element having dimensions suitable for that purpose; and,

introducing a base member border region part and a cover border region part into a slit in the tubular element for locking the base member and the cover to one another so to bring the container into a completely assembled status.

Such a method according to the invention is advantageous over the known methods in its simplicity and effectiveness and in that the locking action can be at the same time an action of labelling the container.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

With the intention of better showing the characteristics of the invention, hereafter, as example without any limitative character, a preferred embodiment of a container according to the invention intended for packaging a product and method according to the invention of locking a cover lid and a base member of such a container to one another are described, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 represents a perspective, exploded view of a container according to the invention in the not-assembled status;

FIG. 2 represents a perspective view of the container of FIG. 1 at an intermediate step during assembling, the cover and bottom of the container being brought into an abutting status; and,

FIG. 3 represents a perspective view of the same container of FIGS. 1 and 2 brought into a completely assembled status.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The container 1 in accordance with the present invention represented in the FIGS. 1 to 3 is intended for packaging a product, such as a food product, not represented in the figures.

Such a container 1 comprises three elements, which are illustrated separately in FIG. 1, i.e. a cover lid 2, a base member 3, as well as a tubular element 4.

The cover lid 2 has the shape of an open-sided receptacle, having a cover lid top face 5 with side edges 6 which form edges 6 between the cover lid top face 5 and cover lid lateral side faces 7 of the cover lid 2.

In a similar way, the base member 3 has also the shape of an open-sided receptacle, having a base member bottom face 8 with side edges 9 which form edges 9 between the base member bottom face and base member lateral side faces 10 of the base member 3.

In the embodiment of a container 1 according to the invention as represented in the figures, the cover lid lateral side faces 7 as well as the base member lateral side faces 10 extend in a direction under a small angle with the direction AA′ perpendicular to the cover lid top face 5, respectively the direction BB′ perpendicular to the base member bottom face 8.

In particular, the cover lid lateral side faces 7 and the base member lateral side faces 10 extend outwardly in a direction away from the cover lid top face 5, respectively in a direction away from the base member bottom face 8, so that the cover lid 2 and the base member 3 have at least partly the shape of a frustum.

Other embodiments, wherein the cover lid lateral side faces 7 and/or the base member lateral side faces 10 are for example perpendicular to the cover lid top face 5, respectively the base member bottom face 8, or, wherein the cover lid lateral side faces 7 and/or the base member lateral side faces 10 make for example a smaller or bigger angle with the direction AA′, respectively BB′ are of course not excluded from the invention.

Also still other embodiments of a container 1, with completely other shapes are not excluded.

The cover lid 2 has a cover lid border region 11 by which it can abut on a base member border region 12 provided at the base member 3, so to form, in an abutting status, an enclosure for enclosing the product to be packaged, which abutting status is illustrated in FIG. 2.

The cover lid border region 11 and the base member border region 12 are formed by radially outwardly extending flanges 13 and 14, provided at the free border of respectively the cover lid 2 and the base member 3.

The flanges 13 and 14 have a complementary shape abutting on one another in the abutting status and leaving no gaps for penetration of dust.

In the embodiment represented in the figures, the flange 13 provided at the cover lid 2 is completely flat, while the flange 14 provided at the base member 3 is provided with a flat part 15 at its outer periphery, the remaining part 16 of the flange 14 at its inner periphery forming a raised part 16 with respect to the flat part 15.

The dimensions of the raised part 16 correspond with the dimensions of the inner shape of the cover lid 2 at its border region 11, so to ensure the correct positioning of the cover lid 2 on the base member 3.

It is characteristic for the present invention that the container 1 comprises, apart from a cover lid 2 and a base member 3, also a tubular element 4 by which the container 1 can be brought into a completely assembled status, which is illustrated in FIG. 3.

By “tubular” shape is meant a hollow and more or less elongated shape, which extends generally in one direction, the tubular element 4 having not necessarily a round cross-section.

This is for example also not the case in the embodiment represented in the figures, the ring like element 4 having in this embodiment a more or less rectangular cross-section, with chamfered corners, corresponding to the shape of the cover lid 2 and the base member 3.

Nevertheless, other embodiments wherein the tubular element 4 has for example a round, an oval or elliptic cross-section are not excluded from the invention, nor tubular elements 4 having a cross-section of a completely other shape such as a totally irregular shape.

In the case represented in the figures, the tubular element 4 is forming an endless strip 4 having a width W and a thickness D, which is another way of describing its tubular shape.

The width B is typically several centimetres, for example sufficiently wide for providing advertisements or the like on it.

In the example of FIGS. 1 to 3 the width W of the tubular element 4 is constant over its entire circumference, but it is not excluded from the invention to provide a tubular element 4 with a varying width W?

Preferably, the tubular element 4 has a thin wall.

The thickness D of the tubular element 4 is typically in the order of one or more millimetres ensuring, on the one hand, that the tubular element 4 is very light, and, on the other hand, that the tubular element 4 is sufficiently stiff or rigid for keeping the cover lid 2 and base member 3 together and for using it multiple times for locking and unlocking the cover lid 2 and base member 3 without damaging it.

Nevertheless, a tubular element 4 having a larger thickness D or even very large thickness D is not excluded from the invention.

In the embodiment illustrated in the figures the tubular element 4 has a constant wall thickness D, but as an alternative the thickness D of the tubular element 4 could also vary without departing from the invention.

Furthermore, according to the invention, the tubular element 4 has dimensions suitable for surrounding, in the completely assembled status of the container 1, the base member 3 and the cover lid 2, when those are brought in the abutting status.

In a preferred embodiment of a container 1 according to the invention, the tubular element 4 has dimensions suitable for surrounding the cover lid 2 and base member 3 when brought in the abutting status at a radially outward side enclosing at least partly radially most outward edges 17 of the cover lid border region 11 and the base member border region 12.

Still more preferably, the tubular element 4 surrounds, in the completely assembled status, the base member 3 and the cover lid 2 over essentially the entire radially outward side, i.e. the edges 17, of the cover lid border region 11 and the base member border region 12, except at some places used for locking the cover lid 2 and base member 3 to one another

It is clear that, in the case of the embodiment represented in the FIGS. 1 to 3 these objectives can be easily obtained by adapting the length of the endless strip or tubular element 4.

Another aspect of the present invention is that the tubular element 4 is provided with locking means 18 for keeping the cover lid 2 and the base member 3 together in said completely assembled status.

Preferably, in the completely assembled status of the container 1, the locking means 18 are providing in a mechanical locking of the cover lid 2 and the base member 3.

Mechanical locking means 18 have advantages over, for example, adhesives in that they can easily be used multiple times for locking and unlocking the cover lid 2 from the base member 3 without any substantial deterioration of the quality of the locking mechanism.

The fabrication process for making the mechanical locking means 18 can also be very simple, when the mechanical locking means 18 are accordingly designed with certain simplicity.

This can for example be realised by means of locking means 18 comprising at least one slit or opening 19 in the tubular element 4 in which a cover lid border region part 20 and a base member border region part 21 can be introduced simultaneously.

In the embodiment illustrated in the figures, the tubular element 4 is provided with multiple slits or openings 19, i.e. four slits or openings 19, and the container 1 is provided with multiple pairs of border region parts 22, each pair 22 comprising a cover lid border region part 21 and a base member border region part 20, which can be introduced simultaneously in a corresponding slit or opening 19 of the tubular element 4.

In particular, in the embodiment presently discussed, the pairs of border region parts 22 are formed by corners 23 and 24 of the cover lid 2 and the base member 3 respectively.

The tubular element 4 of substantially rectangular shape has also corners 25 and the fore-mentioned slits or openings 19 are provided in these corners 25.

In particular, the slits or openings 19 have a rectangular cut-out shape of which the longest dimension extends in a direction parallel to the direction CC′ of the concerned side edges 26 of the tubular element 4.

In the middle of each slit or opening 19 preferably also an additional slit 27 is provided which extends perpendicular to the fore-mentioned direction CC′.

These slits 27 allow a certain temporarily deformation of the tubular element 4 near the slits or openings 19 in order to facilitate the simultaneous introduction of the pairs of border region parts 22.

The corners 25 of the tubular element 4 are in the case represented in the figures chamfered by being formed by corner parts 28 which make a symmetrically sloping edge with the remaining adjacent parts 29 and 30 of the tubular element 4.

In that way, during locking of the container 1 the slits or openings 19 are exposed perfectly in front of the corners 23 and 24 of the cover lid 2 and the base member 3, so the facilitate the locking action.

The chamfered corner parts 28 can easily be fabricated by plying the tubular element 4 at the appropriate places.

In the embodiment illustrated in the figures, the tubular element 4 has a straight tubular shape extending in an axial direction EE′ and it has a cross section considered in a plane perpendicular to that axial direction EE′ which has constant dimensions when moving along said axial direction EE′.

Such an embodiment of a tubular element 4 as illustrated has the advantage that it is very easily fabricated, since it can be formed by simply interconnecting the two free ends of a strip, which strip is, in the represented case, a rectangular strip, but other shapes are not excluded from the invention.

In another preferred embodiment of a container 1 in accordance with the invention, the tubular element 4 has a conical tubular shape, with a broad base and a narrower top. Hereby, the top is directed towards the cover lid 2 in the completely assembled status of the container 1.

Such an embodiment has the advantage that the tubular element 4 is easily applied on the cover lid 2 and base member 3 via the broad base for their interlocking.

At the same time it is ensured that, after the interlocking of cover lid 2 and base member 3, the tubular element 4 cannot be moved further in the same direction due to its narrow top, so preventing an accidental unlocking of cover lid 2 and base member 3 caused by a continued movement of the tubular element 4.

According to the invention, the tubular element 4 is preferably made of cardboard or a strong paper, but other materials, especially biologically degradable materials are not excluded from the invention.

The cover lid 2 and base member 3 are preferably made of a plastic material suitable for keeping food products.

The use of a container 1 in accordance with invention is very simple and as follows.

For locking the cover lid 2 and the base member 3 of a container 1 the following steps are executed.

First, the cover lid 3 and the base member 3 are brought into an abutting status by placing face to face a cover lid border region 11 with a base member border region 12 so to form an enclosure for enclosing the product to be packaged, as is illustrated in FIG. 2.

In the next step, the cover lid 2 and the base member 3 are surrounded by means of the tubular element 4 preferably at least partly over the edges 17.

Furthermore, the pairs of border regions parts 22, formed by a cover border region part 20 and a base member border region part 21, are each introduced into a corresponding slit or opening 19 in the tubular element 4 in order to lock the base member 3 and the cover lid 2 to one another, so to bring the container into a completely assembled status, as represented in FIG. 3.

In order to reopen and unlock the cover lid 2 from the base member 3, the tubular element 4 is simply removed while at the same time the pairs of border region parts 22 are taken out of the concerned slits or openings 19.

It is clear that such a container 1 according to the invention can be very easily fabricated, can be locked and unlocked multiple times without any problem and is therefore practical in use with food products that are not consumed in one time.

The present invention is by no means limited to a container 1 according to the invention intended for packaging a product and a method according to the invention of locking a cover lid 2 and a base member 3 of such a container 1 to one another, described as examples and illustrated in the drawings, but such a container 1 and such a method according to the invention can be realised in all kinds of variants, without departing from the scope of the invention. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A container intended for packaging a product, such as a food product, comprising a cover lid and a base member, the cover lid provided with a cover lid border region by which it can abut on a base member border region provided at the base member, so to form in an abutting status an enclosure for enclosing the product, characterized in that the container comprises additionally a tubular element by which the container can be brought into a completely assembled status, the tubular element having dimensions suitable for surrounding, in the completely assembled status, the cover lid and the base member when brought in the abutting status, and provided with locking means for keeping the cover lid and the base member together in said completely assembled status.
 2. The container according to claim 1, characterized in that the tubular element has dimensions suitable for surrounding, in the completely assembled status, the cover lid and the base member when brought in the abutting status, at a radially outward side enclosing at least partly radially most outward edges of the cover lid border region and the base member border region.
 3. The container according to claim 1, characterized in that, in the completely assembled status, the tubular element surrounds the cover lid and the base member over essentially an entire radially outward side of the cover lid border region and the base member border region, except at some places used for locking the cover lid and base member to one another.
 4. The container according to claim 1, characterized in that the cover lid border region and the base member border region are formed by radially outwardly extending flanges of complementary shape abutting on one another in the abutting status and leaving no gaps for penetration of dust.
 5. The container according to claim 1, characterized in that, in the completely assembled status of the container, the locking means are providing in a mechanical locking of the cover lid and the base member.
 6. The container according to claim 1, characterized in that the locking means are formed by at least one slit or opening in the tubular element in which a cover lid border region part and a base member border region part can be introduced simultaneously.
 7. The container according to claim 1, characterized in that the tubular element is provided with multiple slits or openings and in that the container is provided with multiple pairs of border region parts, each comprising a cover lid border region part and a base member border region part, which can be introduced simultaneously in a corresponding slit or opening of the ring like element.
 8. The container according to claim 7, characterized in that the pairs of border region parts are formed by corners of the cover lid and corners of the base member and in that the tubular element has corners in which a slit is provided.
 9. The container according to claim 8, characterized in that the corners of the tubular element are chamfered by being formed by corner parts which make a symmetrical sloping edge with remaining adjacent parts of the tubular element.
 10. The container according to claim 1, characterized in that the tubular element has a conical tubular shape, with a broad base and a narrower top, which top is directed towards the cover lid in the completely assembled status of the container.
 11. The container according to claim 1, characterized in that the tubular element has a straight tubular shape extending in an axial direction (EE′) and having a cross section with constant dimensions in said axial direction (EE′).
 12. The container according to claim 1, characterized in that the tubular element is made of cardboard and in that the cover lid and base member are made of a plastic material.
 13. The container according to claim 1, characterized in that the tubular element is forming an endless strip.
 14. The container according to claim 1, characterized in that the tubular element is made by a strip of varying width (W).
 15. A Method of locking a cover lid and a base member of a container intended for packaging a product, such as a food product, comprising the steps of: bringing the cover lid and the base member into an abutting status by placing face to face a cover lid border region with a base member border region so to form an enclosure for enclosing the product; surrounding the cover lid and the base member by means of a tubular element having dimensions suitable for that purpose; and, introducing a cover lid border region part and a base member border region part into a slit or opening in the tubular element for locking the cover lid and the base member to one another so to bring the container into a completely assembled status. 